{"id":78277,"date":"2015-10-16T00:29:15","date_gmt":"2015-10-16T05:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aleteia.org\/?post_type=post&p=78277"},"modified":"2015-10-16T00:29:15","modified_gmt":"2015-10-16T05:29:15","slug":"from-the-synod-chicagos-cupich-on-divorce-conscience-reconciliation-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2015\/10\/from-the-synod-chicagos-cupich-on-divorce-conscience-reconciliation-2\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Synod: Chicago\u2019s Cupich on divorce, conscience, reconciliation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

One archbishop\u2019s take, via NCR:<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Catholic church has to respect decisions divorced and remarried people make about their spiritual lives after they examine what their conscience is telling them to do, Chicago\u2019s Archbishop\u00a0Blase\u00a0Cupich\u00a0said during a press briefing.<\/p>\n

Cupich \u2014 one of nine Americans attending the ongoing Oct. 4-25 Synod of Bishops and one of four personally appointed by Pope Francis \u2014 said that when he counsels divorced and remarried persons he always tries \u201cin some way to understand them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citing the Latin root for the word reconciliation \u2014 which indicates not only forgiveness but a seeing of eye-to-eye \u2014 the archbishop said: \u201cIf that\u2019s the case, then not only do I have to understand them but I also have to see how they understand me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI try to help people along the way,\u201d said Cupich. \u201cAnd people come to a decision in good conscience.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen our job with the church is to help them move forward and respect that,\u201d he said. \u201cThe conscience is inviolable. And we have to respect that when they make decisions and I\u2019ve always done that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cupich was speaking Friday in a small briefing with journalists at the Vatican on the progress of the synod, a worldwide meeting of Catholic prelates called by Francis to focus on issues of family life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The story concludes with this poignant and provocative example:<\/p>\n

\u2026.Cupich told a story he said a priest had told him of celebrating a funeral for a young man who had committed suicide. The man\u2019s mother, he said, was divorced and remarried and also \u201cvery angry\u201d at God and the church over what had happened.<\/p>\n

When she came forward for Communion at the funeral Mass, she folded her arms to indicate she wanted to receive a blessing. The priest said to her: \u201cNo, today you have to receive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe went back to her pew and wept uncontrollably,\u201d said the archbishop. \u201cShe then came back to visit with the priest and began reconciliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer heart was changed,\u201d said Cupich. \u201cShe did have her [first] marriage annulled; her [second] marriage is now in the church.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut it was because that priest looked for mercy and grace to touch her heart,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s something we have to keep in mind. And I think the Holy Father has talked about that. It\u2019s not a straight line.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read it all.<\/a><\/strong> There\u2019s much more.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One archbishop\u2019s take, via NCR: The Catholic church has to respect decisions divorced and remarried people make about their spiritual lives after they examine what their conscience is telling them to do, Chicago\u2019s Archbishop\u00a0Blase\u00a0Cupich\u00a0said during a press briefing. Cupich \u2014 one of nine Americans attending the ongoing Oct. 4-25 Synod of Bishops and one of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":78278,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,16,27,46,11675],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bishops","category-family","category-marriage","category-sacraments","category-vatican-2"],"yoast_head":"\nFrom the Synod: Chicago\u2019s Cupich on divorce, conscience, reconciliation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One archbishop\u2019s take, via NCR: The Catholic church has to respect decisions divorced and remarried people make about their spiritual lives after they\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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